Cochin Herald

Food is one of the basic human needs. But, when people started travelling more often and to various destinations, food became a motivation. ‘The Art of Fine Dining’ has changed in due course. People are more open-minded now and not afraid to try new things. Currently, food stops being a necessity and becomes the primary source of enjoyment, and this is what has mainly driven the foodservice tourism sector to the top section of the industry’s pyramid. The restaurants are continually breaking new ground to stay current in an ever-competitive landscape. These food joints are making a shift towards simplicity in lieu of fussiness, not only in terms of their menus but also in terms of their décor, their approach to service, and their thematic inclinations. Better, known as a ‘Man who did Miracle in Franchise Sales in Quality Food brand’, Fazal Rahiman CM, the brilliance behind the Grill N Chill, is one such example, who has put his passion into the food industry and carved himself a name with his creative and eclectic concepts.

Humble Beginnings:

Fazal Rahiman (FR) holds a degree in Industrial Safety Management. His career started in Bahrain in a multi-national brand called Hertz (Al-Futtaim). His journey from a Salesperson to a Sales Manager was remarkable. He then shifted to Dubai for better exposure and learning and developed his career in Sales and Marketing. Later on, he went on working with Sharjah Airport division and Alwathba, a government company.

FR got passionate in the food industry and developed the ambition to break into the gastronomy business himself. He initially joined hands with other restaurant owners learning the ropes of this industry. He nurtured his passion, wore the cape of a Restaurateur and this led to the birth of Grill N Chill. This quality food brand provides a distinctive, rewarding and authentic dining experience for people who always hunt for something new.

Grill N Chill: The Authentic Recipe to Success:

Modern barbeques, Milkshake corners, Stellar tasting menus and the city’s best shawarma’s -here is a look into Grill N Chill. G N C allows one to drop the fad food doldrums and enjoy a wonderfully comfortable, yet upscale meal experience. The meal served is just amazing, and everything is cooked to perfection. The eclectic and Mocktail list is internationally and broadly sourced, providing new and surprising twists to the meal with every visit.

G N C is the new kid on the block and thanks to an ever-changing menu, and the ‘Sensation’ Fazal Rahiman that makes the drive-in café seems altogether fresh. G N C’s penchant for nailing straightforward but innovative food is remarkable. Each item at G N C dictates a specific progression of textures, temperatures, taste and seasonal ingredients. One can narrow down the best of City’s food scene-the freshest, most inventive and most memorable spot. The G N C dining scene thrives on its diverse and welcomes blend of internationally inspired and genre-bending cuisines. FR says, “At G N C, we value fun, flavour, freshness—worth at every price point. He is one of Cochin’s best talent, and scoring a meal at his eatery is money and time well spent.

G N C is one of the most popular attractions in Kochi. It mainly aims at providing 100% quality, hygiene, halal and fresh. Fazal Rahiman’s dream was to start a Quality Food Joint; hence, Grill N Chill was born. G N C mainly serves Barbecues, Mocktails, Shakes, Barbecue Biriyani and different types of Shawarma. They also grab roadshows, set up coffee shops, milkshake corners, street cafes to serve authentic cuisines to the food lovers. At G N C, each dish is unique, and it promises the foodies a tantalizing tour of their taste-buds. What they serve is top class in terms of taste and food quality. They are one step ahead in helping to set a variety of dishes. They try to blend in the taste of different countries under one roof. The team always loves to experiment on new dishes, which is their USP.

G N C remains one of the favourite go-to’s for a breather out of town. A customer who walks in G N C never leaves unsatisfied. This halal resto perfectly blends Arabian dishes with Western influences. As one enters the place, he is enveloped by the elegant décor and the warm colours of contours, which leaves an enticing effect.

A place to indulge in simple, good food without any pretence, the chefs work magic in the kitchen, transforming everyday meats and vegetables into hearty, elevated and entirely unique dishes that will leave one wondering just how they squeezed so many flavours out of each component. They perfectly marry tradition with innovation, helping to define what modern- the cuisine is and everything it should be. Service is so congenial and warm here; one will never feel like a stranger. The staffs are lively, open and fun-loving, and their mood is infectious. A most coveted eatery and a quintessential stop for locals and tourists alike, there’s a charm here and excitement in every dish.

Creativity and Passion:

The world of food is vast and complicated, and if one is curious and innovative, he will never stop learning about ingredients and ways to use even familiar foods. As an owner, Fazal Rahiman possesses the ability to create a menu and a dining experience that expresses his creativity and passion. The FR team is led by the passion for serving the best standard food. They love working with food, exploring new ingredients and cuisines, and tinkering with them until they get them just right. Above all ingredients, they add a pinch of passion and care to what they serve. Every recipe is watchfully prepared with the best of ingredients brought from authentic and best suppliers.

Nouvelle Cuisines with a Contemporary Flair:

Being a Fast food joint owner can be gruelling work and involve considerable financial risk. But, it can also be a profoundly satisfying and exciting way to make a living. Everybody eats, yet styles of foods are as varied as the ethnic diversity and individual personalities of the people of this planet. Fazal Rahiman and his team have carefully curated an atmosphere that is both mellow and lively with timeless design touches. Detailed attention is given to ensure an unrivalled dining experience.

“Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream.”-Prophet Muhammad

One of the highlights of G N C is cutting down food waste. FR believes that food cost can quickly escalate if you don’t train your staff to make the dishes and appropriately portion the ingredients. According to him, knowing how to manage a fast food restaurant cafe involves many different responsibilities from hiring and firing to inventory management and forecasting. However, with the right tools, the right team, and the right leadership, one will have a recipe for success.

Rather than being a resto café, G N C is unique in terms of Menu and Presentation. The well experienced professional team upholds the principles of Quality and Hygiene. Under the leadership of FR, G N C maintains consistent quality and authentic taste in food, which is their core strength. G N C food has been made with an unrivalled passion and attention that is why each of their recipes begins with a real flavour and vegetables from the best supplier.

Definition of Success:

Opening up a food hub is any foodpreneur’s dream or passion. To share the joy of a patron who ends up relishing the ambience along with food and services is a fulfilment of its own. However, only the owner knows what efforts have been put in before opening up a restaurant. It takes savvy and sophisticated restaurateur such as FR to stay in tune with the pulse of a city such as Cochin and to evolve so that his team can continue to provide what their customers want. Fazal Rahiman follows a systematic process in everything. His itinerary includes planning, organizing, resourcing, controlling and arrangement of things. He believes that planning, developing and executing a solid business strategy for the resto cafe is extremely important in order to make the business successful. To be successful in the long run, one needs an accessible location, a theme or style that appeals to a broad range of customers, and a solid menu. The ‘dine-in’ must stand out from the crowd, especially those located in urban areas that face fierce competitors. Even established restaurant owners must continually review their menu and theme to ensure they are giving customers what they want.

Organizing comes in when choosing the right marketing strategy for the perfect food hub can seem tricky, especially if one is new to the world of business ownership. Defining the brand message, increasing awareness and creating loyalty is essential to the restaurant’s growth. One should ensure that he has a piece of reliable marketing advice to create a tailor-made restaurant marketing strategy.

Resourcing the best is yet another milestone, as successful owners know the importance of having the right employees. Being an Entrepreneur, Fazal Rahiman ensures that he has a good team in place to make it big in the hospitality industry. According to him, placing greater emphasis on hiring and training staff can help meet this requirement and will also reduce cost over time.

Additionally, FR says that concerns about diet and nutrition, food allergies/sensitivities, and sourcing of ingredients are all taking centre stage in the minds of restaurant and cafe-goers. Gathering and using guest preferences and intelligence to enable the delivery of superior guest experience should be the priority of any Hotel Owner.

Fazal Rahiman and his team carry on the importance of Sustainability at G N C. Sustainable development is how a company progresses towards achieving an identified set of sustainability goals and harnesses competitive advantage. The purpose of this is to identify barriers to implementing sustainable practices and explore ways that restaurateurs can incorporate sustainable business practices. His team ensures that the four sustainability indicators – Energy consumption, Water use, Waste production and food are taken adequate care.

Learning Experience combined with Business Strategies:

During his initial days of employment, Fazal Rahiman struggled a lot to meet targets and deadlines. But, his never-ending attitude moulded him to what he is today. Coming to the food industry, maintaining the best quality was a difficult task for him. But, he didn’t compromise for fewer quality products. He strived and struggled hard to maintain quality. As a resto owner, FR had to go through several months of constant designing, overlooking and perfecting every little detail that came hand-in-hand with the project. Whether it is sourcing the right ingredients, obtaining too many licenses, finalizing a space within the budget to interviewing the right staff; he had to consider everything beginning from a pin to the piano before taking the right foot forward.

The food industry is a high-risk business proposition. One will get a lofty level of competition and a lot of details to perfect. Fazal Rahiman never let failures to strand his success, and he studied the concepts of setting up a quality food restaurant. He believes that a good menu is a balancing act. His advice is to keep the menu size in check. Instead of offering a five-page menu, he offers a smaller number of dishes and doing them really well. In order for the people to know what the restaurant is about, one must keep the menu aligned with the restaurant’s unique proposition. Yet another strategy he follows is to maintain Customer Satisfaction. The key to success is happy customers who want to return again and again. He says that to ensure success, the entire team – from management to delivery staffs must be dedicated to the customers’ well-being. Every contact your staff makes with customers must be pleasant, welcoming and accommodating. He also believes in maintaining a good profile of his restaurant in the digital media. He has also started a Youtube page for G N C. As the digital arena continues to grow, online reviews are consistently important to your success. While a superb menu and excellent customer service are vital to your success, they are not a unique selling point. You need an original idea – something even better than great food and service. Come up with a unique reason for people to eat at your restaurant. ‘Captivation in every bite’ is the trademark slogan of Grill N Chill, and this is what makes it stand apart from the other food joints. Fazal Rahiman emphasizes that one should formalize the brand standards and be creative with marketing strategies.

“Let your food, your service, and your unique selling point and identity make an emotional connection with your customers”.

A Visionary Foodpreneur:

FR is ambitious, open to creative ideas with a go-getter attitude. He has the ability to create a Halo Effect as he strongly yearns for progress in his projects. He possesses the passion, enthusiasm and desire for setting up a business. A flexible entrepreneur who finds the right solution to solve the business problems and uses his vision to inspire others.

Philanthropic Efforts:

The word ‘charity’ means so much more than offering money to those who are sick or in dire circumstance. Helping anyone in need comes from a place of benevolence and love. FR sets the standard of giving back and works for this noble cause. He and his team are involved in a lot of activities such as supporting the disabled, orphans and elderly people. In addition, Fazal Rahiman also believes that contributing time and funds to a cause that might carry stigma behind it can change the attitudes of those that have not yet felt the desire to help others in need. ‘Speak up when others lack understanding and advocate for everyone in society. To serve and give your time is a humbling experience’.

Honours:

Fazal Rahiman has been honoured with much recognition for his passion in the food industry and coming up with an excellent idea as Grill N Chill.
• He received the Best Excellence awards in Customer Service from multi-national company Hertz.
• Vanitha Magazine awarded Grill N Chill the Best Hygiene Restaurant award.
• G N C was awarded by MCC group for the Best Arabian Food.

Expanding Horizons: The Franchise Man:

This genius from Kerala is expanding horizons and making magic in franchise sales. Branded as the fastest-selling franchise, G N C at present has an outlet (near Taj Gateway, Marine Drive) in the outskirts of Cochin. They are planning to expand and will soon be opening three more outlets in Karnataka’s Kolar and Vasanth Nagar and Kasturi Nagar in Bangalore. In addition to this, they are also planning to open up restaurants in Edapally, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The team is gearing up to etch food stories through G N C in the European Countries (Canada and the United Kingdom) too. With this G N C will mark records by opening 17 outlets globally within a short span of six months.

A Phenomenal Spectacle who holds the team together:

In any industry, competition can be fierce. Along with success, there come failures too, but one has to keep on fighting to become the best in that field. And never give up on being passionate about what you are doing, for this passion will be an everlasting challenge that will help you stay ahead in that competition. This approach creates a sense of openness and enhances the team’s learning so much so that when members are empowered, they will act more in line with your vision. This is what Fazal Rahiman sets an example by his brilliance in handing a successful team who work towards one single aim- Serving the Best Quality Food in the City.